This invention relates to an outdoor grill, and more specifically, to an outdoor grill that has an exterior protected from interior heat and which allows food to be attended to without opening the top thereof.
People have, for many years, utilized outdoor grills to cook a variety of foods. These grills are of two main types: charcoal barbeque grills, and gas barbeque grills. Charcoal grills utilize charcoal briquettes as the medium by which food is cooked. The briquettes are started on fire typically utilizing a starter fluid or an electric heating element. The briquettes are then allowed to become hot, after which time the food is placed on a cooking grill for cooking.
In more recent times, outdoor grillers have been presented with the option of a grill fueled by propane. The propane, or gas, grill offers the advantage of less preparation time because the propane provides a near instantaneous grilling availability, as opposed to having to wait for the charcoal briquettes to heat up. These gas grills are typically equipped with lava or simulated lava briquettes, which also heat up and maintain the heat provided by the propane flame. To increase the flavor of the food cooked on the gas grill, wood chips, such as hickory chips, may be added to the lava briquettes. Therefore, the popularity of gas grills has increased due to the increased convenience and decreased time requirements of the gas grill.
Outdoor grills have, to this point, suffered from a number of disadvantages. First, the available work surface is often less than that desired and needed by the person operating the grill. The work surface can be used as the surface upon which is placed such things as a food tray and cooking utensils. Many grills today have folding shelves which can be used for this purpose. The provision of folding shelves, however, increases the overall space needed to house the grill. On existing prior art grills, the other available surface, the top of the grill, is too hot to adequately serve as a work surface when the grill is in operation. Moreover, the prior art grill has a top which is hingedly connected to the firebox of the grill. Therefore, when the operator opens the grill top to tend the food, the grill top cannot simultaneously be used as a work surface.
Another disadvantage suffered by prior art grills occurs during grilling. When food is being cooked, especially food with a higher fat content, the grease from the food is allowed to drip down and onto the briquettes. When the grill top is open and the food is being attended to, this dripping grease often leads to a "flare-up" wherein flames come above the cooking surface and endanger the person tending to the food.
Yet another disadvantage of prior art grills is the amount by which their exterior surfaces heat up during use. A typical grill has exterior surfaces which become hot enough to cause discomfort upon contact. A prior art grill may even become hot enough to burn a person's skin upon contact with the grill.
Gas grills are equipped with propane tanks which supply the fuel necessary to operate the grill. These propane tanks are typically housed beneath the firebox of the grill, and are held in place with a series of clamps and bolts. Therefore, when a propane tank needs to be refilled, the user must unfasten the clamps and bolts before removing the tank. This can be both frustrating and difficult if the bolts have become hard to remove due to the passage of time and exposure to the elements. Moreover, the propane tank is usually in fall view beneath the firebox. Often the propane tank is discolored or rusty and is not particularly attractive.
Gas grills are also equipped with a control panel which has a number of control knobs which are used to regulated the amount of gas supplied to the burner. The control panel may also have an ignition device therein which can be used to cause a spark, which in turn ignites the gas being supplied to the burner. In prior art gas grills, this control panel is on the front face of the grill. As such, the control panel is exposed to the elements, which can cause the control panel to become dirty and can also lead to a premature failure of one or more components of the control panel.
Thus, an outdoor grill is needed to overcome the drawbacks and shortcomings of prior outdoor grills. More specifically, an outdoor grill is needed in which the front, top and sides of the grill remain comfortable to the touch. Further, an outdoor grill is needed which has a top that can be used as a work surface while the grill is in use. Still further, an outdoor grill is needed that has a top that can remain closed while food is being attended to. An outdoor grill is also needed which allows the food to be moved away from the cooking flame while the food is being attended to. Further yet, an outdoor grill is needed which has a top that can be opened and maintained in a parallel orientation relative to the surface on which the grill is placed. Still further, a grill is needed that allows the propane tank to be easily installed and replaced and that removes the propane tank from view. Finally, an outdoor grill is needed that has a control panel which may be protected from the environment.